


Things We Can't Say

by CrackingLamb, Iron_Angel



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Pre-Relationship, comical mispronunciation of local wildlife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 06:55:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14443821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrackingLamb/pseuds/CrackingLamb, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iron_Angel/pseuds/Iron_Angel
Summary: So an irradiated bear, a spy, and a sole survivor are walking through the woods...





	Things We Can't Say

**Author's Note:**

> IA: An _enormous_ special thank you to CrackingLamb for helping me to finally finish this fic that has been collecting dust in my files for almost two full years. Thank you for all the support, encouragement, and finally just slapping my hands away and taking over on the last 1,000-ish words to get this thing out into the world.
> 
> CL: I didn't want to see this languishing anymore, so yeah...I sorta took the reins from her. It is mostly her work; the author names are just posted alphabetically. Hope y'all enjoy!

Nora only had a split second between the guttural roar and Deacon's shout of "YAO GEE-OH!" to swing her shotgun around and squeeze off a shot as the massive yao guai came barreling through the scrub brush straight for her. It was a lucky hit, peppering the beast's face with buckshot and hindering it just enough that its wild flailing claws missed her by inches.

Stunned by the near miss, she was too slow to fire a second shot when she was hit in the middle by a hard force that swept her off her feet. She would have yelled if the breath hadn't been knocked out of her. Then it dawned on her that she hadn't hit the ground yet, that the dizziness in her head wasn't injury but vertigo as she looked up to see the ground rushing past her. Eyes down and she was face to "face" with Deacon's denim-covered ass.

Another roar, this time more angry.

From her perch flung over Deacon's shoulder, she could see the yao guai had recovered and was charging toward them, only a few meters behind.

She grabbed fistfuls of his t-shirt and let out a panicked, "Dee!"

She sucked in an involuntary gasp when his arm around her waist tightened as he slid down the side of an embankment, making her stomach flip uneasily as he nearly lost his balance before correcting and continuing his mad dash. The yao guai was gaining. She could see bloody spittle fly from its mouth and the maddened eyes it had trained on their retreating forms.

She knew Deacon couldn't run forever like this. She could already feel his labored breathing. There was no way she could save them; Deacon's tackle had knocked the shotgun out of her hands.

Suddenly she was being thrown backward into a small building, Deacon barely pushing the door shut before the yao guai ran headlong into it. The force of the collision knocked the spy back, but he managed to throw his weight forward again to keep the door shut.

"Hey, Yo Go... Yao Gooey... Yogurt! Sign says don't feed the bears!" he shouted. A second hard hit nearly knocked him off his feet again, causing him to slip and fall with his back against the door.

Regaining her wits, Nora jumped up and threw herself against the door as a third hit nearly had it open, knocking Deacon's glasses askew. She scanned around frantically for anything to fight with when she noticed the bar latches on either side of the door. She managed to slide both into place as the fourth hit rattled the hinges.

Five. The door held, not giving an inch. Six, but less forceful this time. Pause. A growl. Seven, eight... Weaker still.

"I think it's getting tired," Deacon huffed. "Or dying. That'd be nice. Wouldn't get our hopes up. Buckshot does fuck all against You-goo hide."

"Yeah, but I got a headshot in."

Nora looked down at him. She swallowed hard as panic switched gears into embarrassment. She hadn't realized she was standing astride him, his head level with the crotch of her vault suit. She could swear she felt his breath hot on her thighs as he fought to get air into his lungs. Honestly, it couldn't be helped. The building was so small, she could just about stretch both arms out from side to side and place her palms against the walls at the same time. It was just an outbuilding for the power station nearby, nothing more than concrete walls with a single bank of consoles opposite the door. The cramped space did nothing to derail her brain from the sudden, searing image of him leaning forward just a few inches...

She caught one dark blue eye glinting up at her before he readjusted his glasses to cover it again. He turned his head as if to survey the space, but she could feel his gaze still on her. Hopefully it was dark enough to cover her furious blush.

"Well, this is nice. Cozy little hideaway for romantic weekends," he said with a smirk. "All we need now is a bottle of wine and a crackling fire. Though we'll have to do without the bearskin rug, since it's still intent on killing us."

Nora backed away from him as far as she could, sitting down at an angle from him because there was nowhere else to go. She leaned back against the wall, the console nearly touching her shoulder. She could hear the yao guai grunting and shuffling around outside, but it hadn't made an attempt at the door again. They were safe enough for now, she supposed. She closed her eyes and focused on forcing both the adrenaline and the image of Deacon so close between her legs out of her brain.

"Hey, you gonna be okay?"

Of course, he wouldn't make it easy, would he?

Eyes still closed, she nodded, swallowed, and whispered, "Yeah. Just... just need a minute." She was mortified at just how shaky her voice sounded.

She heard the scrape of his shoes against the floorboards, but couldn't stop herself from tensing up as he wedged himself next to her, sliding an arm behind her neck to drape over her shoulder.

"Too bad this story doesn't come with a benevolent huntsman with an ax to save us," he sighed dramatically. "So options: We wait for Growly McGrowlerton out there to get bored and leave, hoping he doesn't figure out how to open this can of cram to get to the human goodies inside. Or we charge out, grab sticks, and die like idiots-- I mean, men."

Nora grinned in spite of herself. "Given the choices, I think I like Option One's chances for survival better. Unless you want to add Option Three, which is you running decoy while I run away."

He feigned a shocked gasp, putting his free hand to his heart. "Here I've gone and saved your life, literally carried you on my shoulders to salvation, and now you throw me to the beasts?! I thought damsels in distress were supposed to reward their knights with kisses, not threats of dismemberment!" He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye beneath his glasses. "So much for romance!"

She pressed her lips together to stop from giggling and gently nudged him in the ribs. "Shh. Not so loud."

As if to prove her point, the yao guai banged against the wall behind them, causing them both to jump.

Deacon, however, wasn't ready to give up his act. He slumped his shoulders, putting his weight on her as he lowered his head almost to his chest. With another melodramatic sigh, he bemoaned, "My lady insists on sending me to my doom! And I, her faithful guardian, shall obey her whims!" Then he straightened, the arm around her neck pulling her even closer as the other hand cupped her chin. "But, lo, should my lady gift me with her kiss, I would die a thousand deaths to please her!"

Nora's eyes widened as he leaned in as if to kiss her, her hands flying up to brace against his chest. "O-okay, you've had your laugh, wise-guy," she stammered, forcing a low chuckle to hide her nerves.

"What, I can't get a kiss even with death literally knocking on the door... and walls?" he pouted.

She dropped her gaze to her hands still against his chest, fingers twitching slightly before pulling away to tuck them under her knees. "That's not funny, Deacon."

"The death part, or the part were I'm trying and failing to get you to kiss me? Because I don't think so either." She turned to look at him. His smile had fallen and he'd turned completely serious. "With the chances of the former being so high, I'd regret not trying for the latter at least once."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Not exactly flattering to be the last ditch effort for some action before you go."

It was Deacon's turn to sigh, pulling back to remove his sunglasses. He stared at them as he turned them over and over in his hands for a long moment. "I guess I'll take that one on the chin for not saying anything sooner. In my defense, I could never find the right time or place, and our line of work doesn't really give us the luxury of solid relationships, much less honest ones." He turned and gave her a small, sad smile.

Nora felt as if a massive fist suddenly clenched around her lungs, making it hard to breathe. He couldn't say it even now, but it was there, buried in his jokes and half-confessions. Even if his words were lies, his eyes were honest. The image of her straddling him with his face so near her... uh... so near raced through her mind again. It wasn't the first time she'd had thoughts about Deacon, but she'd never been so tempted to act on them before this. And she hadn't known he felt the same way. All joking aside, they both knew how short life was, and what regret tasted like.

She closed the scarce few inches between them, pressing her lips softly to his, closing her eyes as his fingers lightly brushed along the edge of her jaw and up into her hair. The angle was awkward and put pressure against her neck muscles. Without breaking the kiss, Deacon -- no doubt in the same predicament -- slid his other arm around her waist, coaxing her to straddle his lap, supporting her with his propped up knees. Much more comfortable now, she cupped his face between her hands, tilting her head slightly and parting her lips to let him slip his tongue in to caress her own.

For a moment, it was sweet and gentle. Then it seemed as if something snapped in Deacon. His arms tightened around her, crushing her to him. The kiss turned frantic, both forcing hard breaths through their noses as neither wanted to break away.

Nora couldn't keep up. She pulled back with a gasp. Undeterred, Deacon continued kissing, licking, and biting from jaw to throat like a drowning man and she was his air. When he found her pulse, he latched on and sucked hard.

She let out a pained whimper.

He jerked back, eyes wide, horrified. Then he closed them, letting his head fall forward against her shoulder. "Yeah," -- his voice cracked -- "this isn't exactly the way I had wanted this to go."

"A little over-enthusiastic maybe." She gently ran a finger over the stinging mark. "It's okay."

He shook his head, pressing it into the crook of her neck as he eased his deathgrip into an embrace. "No, I mean, all of it. Getting close. Getting... attached. It's dangerous.”

“I know.” She leaned away from him, preparing to get up, put some distance between them... if she could. But he caught her around the waist before she could stand, his eyes naked and intent and serious.

“I said this isn't how I wanted it to go, not that I was upset about it.”

“Dee...” she trailed off, not knowing what to say to that.

“I mean, who wouldn't want to have a lapful of gorgeous pre-war pin-up?” he asked, the teasing quality she had been missing in his voice the last few moments making its return. “Only a fool would complain.”

“Only a fool, huh?”

“Yeah, a total fool.” He'd been steadily drawing her closer while he spoke, until she was crushed up against him once more, his grip light but firm. He gave her plenty of time to back away, but she didn't think she could have ducked if her life depended on it.

This kiss was tender, and even though she could feel how much he wanted to take things further rising up between them, his hands stayed wrapped around her shoulders and his mouth stayed chaste. Mostly. The tip of his tongue swept along her bottom lip when she inhaled, but he didn't push, didn't lose control.

“Now,” he said when he pulled away, just in time for the angry yao guai to thump against the building again. He grinned like a child who had won a particularly important contest. Or a particularly wonderful prize. “You have your flare gun, right?”

“Oh my God,” she moaned. “I can't believe I didn't think of that myself.”

He grinned at her again, cheeky and normal. “Good thing I did, or we'd be here all night.”

“Hmm, somehow I don't think you'd mind that too much.”

“Well, maybe not, but my delicate derriere might.” He shifted them on the gritty floor and she giggled, shaking her head at him.

He let her stand and she offered him a hand up so they were not quite as cramped as they had been sprawled on what little floor space was to be had. She pulled her flare gun from her belt and looked at the door.

“This will have to be fast,” she said, nodding towards the barred door and gesturing with the flare gun.

“Never fear, I have lightning fast reflexes,” Deacon replied, earning himself a mockingly raised eyebrow from her.

“Right, well here goes nothing.”

Deacon unlatched the door and opened it just enough for Nora to stick her arm through it and aim upwards, shooting the flare into the sky. He slammed it shut and dropped the bars just in time for the yao guai to bound around the building, throwing its weight against it again.

“Now we wait,” she said.

“Now we wait,” he echoed.

The wait wasn't long. Within a half an hour they heard the distinctive sound of laser musket fire erupt outside and the pained grunts of the yao guai. With a final thump the beast fell against the building.

“All clear, General!” they both heard from outside and they unlatched the door to see four Minutemen standing nearby, laser muskets still held loosely in their hands, their matching militia hats shading their faces from the slanting afternoon sun.

“Thanks, guys,” she said with a heartfelt smile.

Nora and Deacon fell into step with them after butchering the meat from the massive monster, as well as a handful of caps it had managed to swallow that didn't bear thinking about too closely. They marched back the way they'd come, awareness and something like anticipation thrumming between them like a live wire. Normally she would shy away from such a feeling, but it was so strong and insistent she didn't think there was any going back. She didn't think she really wanted to go back. Still, there was one thing she just couldn't let him live down...

“Honestly, Dee, you can't say yao guai?”

He frowned at her over his sunglasses, the sunlight glinting off them. She couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up from her throat and even though he feinted a punch in her direction, she kept laughing. There would be time enough later to make it up to him, she thought. She hoped.

Somewhere along the long road back to their current homebase, he took her hand in his. No words passed between them, but there were none needed. Except...

“Yao goo-eye,” she drawled, teasing, giggling anew.

“Oh stop it,” he snapped, but he was smiling as he did it. A real one. Nora smiled back and kept her hand in his.

**Author's Note:**

> IA: I can't pronounce "yao guai" either. (-_-)
> 
> Thank you for reading...
> 
> CL:...and don't forget, comments are the lifeblood!


End file.
